This day in history: Today is January 12. On this day Harry Houdini, one of the greatest magicians in history, gave a performance in Amsterdam. By this time he had already become a big draw for Europeans – everyone was eager to see the famous escape artist. Yet, only three years before, in 1900, when Harry Houdini only arrived in Europe to popularize his skill of escaping from impossible situations and the most adverse circumstances, nobody seemed to notice his coming. Having given a number of unsuccessful interviews in London, Houdini decided to follow the advice encapsulated in the proverb: ‘Actions speak louder than words.’ He offered to show a demonstration of escaping from handcuffs at Scotland Yard. The idea brought a smile to the face of the police superintendent – the Scotland Yard handcuffs were not a stage prop, he said, and no criminal had ever managed to undo them before. Yes, he would gladly put them on that impertinent American and would not be in a hurry to unfasten them. It would teach Houdini a lesson. The police superintendent wrapped Houdini’s hands around a pillar and snapped the handcuffs on. He said he was going to have lunch and started toward the door only to hear in a few minutes: ‘Wait! I am going with you!’ That was Harry Houdini, who had already managed to unlock himself. Houdini was known as the handcuff king most of his life but to acquire the remarkable knowledge of locks and locking devices was not what fascinated him and spurred him on. He liked to put himself to the test and to meet new challenges that he kept inventing. He started from daring the police to restrain him and escaping from any police cell where he was locked. He moved on to ropes and straitjackets, later he was chained underwater and even buried alive. His most famous trick was called Chinese Water Torture Cell. For this trick Houdini was handcuffed and two metal rings joined together with a chain were put on his feet. He was placed head down into a container filled with water in full view of the audience. Assistants would then pull a curtain for the spectators to guess how the magician would extricate himself. The orchestra would play ‘Asleep in the Deep’ to build up suspense and to make the audience worry over the fate of the magician but not for too long. A few moments later Houdini would emerge with a smile on his face, wet but alive. Stage magic has already stopped being a magnet for us, people living in the 21st century. It has been replaced with real-life magic created by modern technology and accessible to almost everyone. Isn’t it magical to be sitting on a sofa with your laptop somewhere in Europe and talking to and actually seeing a friend who is now working or studying in Australia or Canada! But no matter how spectacular technological advances are, people, like Harry Houdini, will never be consigned to oblivion as only by making yourself accomplish new goals and perform new tasks you can maximize your potential and reach undreamed-of heights.
Posted on: Sat, 10 Jan 2015 19:45:42 +0000
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